


Job Hunt

by litra



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Blanket Permission, Boba and Ahsoka are partners, Bounty Hunters, F/F, F/M, Feelings, Laundry, Podfic Welcome, Post Clone Wars, Post-Season/Series Finale, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-02-12
Packaged: 2019-10-26 18:15:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17750999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/litra/pseuds/litra
Summary: Ahsoka finds a possible job, but she doesn't think Boba will like it.





	Job Hunt

**Author's Note:**

> This is another story inspired by Reena Jenkins.

Ahsoka strolled towards the docking area at the edge of town with her hood up. The planet she was on was at the edge of the mid rim, so a Togruta wouldn't be too uncommon of a sight. Not enough to turn heads, but maybe enough to be remarked upon. It had been years since she'd left the Jedi, but life on the rim fighting for the rebellion and living hand to mouth hadn't made her any less wary. The data chip sat heavy in her pocket. The job on it was a good one. Minimal deaths, destruction of empire property, and a clean getaway if everything went well. It was better than the other jobs open at the moment, Hutt bounties and escaped slaves, the occasional pirate...

She stepped into the hanger and looked up at Slave One. Boba wouldn't like it. He liked jobs that were more straightforward. They had both been trained as weapons for as long as either of them could remember, but he thought nothing of killing, while she preferred to protect, even if it did get messier, harder to control.

She wasn't looking forward to the coming argument.

Slave One recognised her hand print and let her into the cargo hold, where she stopped. There were spare zip lines hooked from the ladder across to the clamps that could hold cargo crates, and hanging from those lines were her pants, her spare cloak, and the shirt that had gotten covering in mud when chasing a bounty last week. The shirt no longer had mud on it. It was now  dripping onto the floor. She ran a hand over her face, and down one montrail. Boba's clothing was there too, like wet flags waiting for a breaze. It would take them ages to dry like that, but outside would probably be worse. Out there they'd end up stinking like smog, and possibly get stolen.

She took a breath before going to climb the ladder.

"Why is there a clothesline in the cargo bay?" Ahsoka asked, as she climbed into the living area.

Boba was sitting in his customary seat at the table cleaning one of his rifles. He had it fully disassembled and didn't even look up as he answered, "the clothes-fresher broke. It needs a new rotator." He nodded at the shopping list eternally pinned to the cabinet where Ahsoka kept her tea.

She may carry blasters instead of lightsabers most of the time these days and follow no code but her own, but some Jedi habits are impossible to break and tea is apparently one of them.

Sure enough the rotator is listed right under green paint, hot sauce, and ration bars that don't taste like cardboard. The first two wouldn't be on there if they had a bit of cash. Both of them have lived off ration bars often enough that it's not a hardship, but on the other hand both of them have lived off ration bars enough to prefer anything else.

Ahsoka considered checking the machine herself. It's not that Boba is bad at mechanics. He just doesn't have any interest in it. She on the other hand was trained by a mechanical genius and she picked up more than a few things during her apprenticeship.

She quickly turned away from that thought. The clone wars were over. Better to leave them in the past... at least as much as possible.

At the table Boba slid his blaster back together with a few quick clicks, taking aim at her. She made a face at him.

"You find anything?"

Ahsoka considered before answering. It's not that he wouldn't like what she found, It was a decent job, but the contact was...

Apparently she waited too long to answer because he was looking at her, the gun back on the table. "What is it?"

Damn him. When did he get to know her so well? She'd never meant to stay with him for longer than the one job, maybe two... but it had been nearly a dozen jobs now. Her laundry was hanging in his cargo hold for kriff's sake and she wasn't even angry that he had gone through her stuff, just that she couldn't use the cargo bay. When had she gotten used to this? It had all crept up on her somehow, and now here she was, able to guess what he'd say even as he knew she was uneasy.

She tossed the data chip onto the table.

He didn't ask what it was or check it for sabotage, just plugged it into the table and watched as the surface lit up. The head and shoulders of Asajj Ventress filled the holo.

"Tano, I've heard you and the kid are looking for a job. I've got something set up at the end of the cycle, and I could use an extra set of hands. If you get this before the fifteenth, get in touch with me at the usual place. There's enough credits in it to make it worth your while, and it might help your side project too."  Ventress nodded, and the holo switched to a series of coded details. The timeline, payout and confirmation codes all checked out. She'd confirmed them before heading back.

Boba leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. He looked so much like Rex in that moment. A few less scars, and his shoulders weren't broad enough yet, but it still sent a pang through her. 

This job was getting past all her defences and they hadn't even started.

"I don't like it." Boba said, just like she'd know he would.

"Why not, she has as good a reputation as any bounty hunter. She won't short us. You don't even know the details yet?" She crossed her arms, matching him.

"She's Sith."

"Used to be Sith. Now she's just another gun for hire, and anyway If anyone should have a problem with Sith it should be me."

"Exactly." 

Ahsoka did not throw up her hands, even if she wanted to. Instead she took a breath and planted her feet. "We need a job. That last one cost us almost as much as we made, between the fuel and the amo. I checked the boards, trust me this is our best bet, unless you want to go work for the Hutts."

Boba wrinkled up his nose in disgust. The Hutts were always an option for a bounty hunter but they were never a good option and they both knew it.

"I don't like it. She's hiding something. What does she even want to hire us for? Chances are we're a decoy, taking the fall while she gets away."

"She's not like that." Ahsoka felt the anger rising and released it into the force before it could fester. She slumped into her own chair, propping up one leg so that she faced Boba directly. He slowly let his arms fall back to the table, tracing the familiar well worn lines of the rifle. She put her hand over his.

"You know she couldn't put the full info in a massage like this. It could have gotten intercepted. What's this really about? If it was anyone else you wouldn't think twice, not about going to the meeting at least..."

He glanced up at her, then back at his hands. When he turned his hand over, his grip was strong and confident. "You have a history with her."

She waited to see if there was more, but he didn't elaborate. 

"I do," Ahsoka answered eventually. "But that doesn't mean--" She stopped, biting at her lip. Suddenly she couldn't meet his eyes. She knew what he was getting at, but neither of them had voiced it, not yet. They lived out of each other's pockets, and watched each other's backs. She trusted him with her life, but she'd never invited him into her bed.

She'd thought about it though.

He'd made the offer once, when they'd both been celebrating after a successful job. He'd kissed her, and she'd shoved him off playfully. She hadn't realized he might have been serious until the next morning and by then it had seemed too late. Now... Now she wasn't sure what she wanted.

Ahsoka needed to meditate. In the meantime...

"I trust her, but she's not my partner." She forced herself to meet his eyes. "Trust me? I have a good feeling about this job." That last bit might be pushing it. The force wasn't telling her squat about the job, and he'd probably take it that way but... They needed the credits. There was no reason not to at least go to the meeting...

"Okay, but I reserve the right to call it off if I don't like the details," he said with a slow nod. "We've got the dock until morning, we can head out then."

She nodded, and stood. "Guess someone should do the shopping then."

"You volunteering?"

She snorted, "I just got back, and I'm the one that found the job. It's your turn." She waved a hand as she headed for her bunk. Her montrails caught the shift in the air as he stood. He was probably rolling his eyes, but if he was, he would also be smiling.

She smiled too. 

Okay, if they were taking off in the morning there were things she needed to do. She headed for the cockpit to download the latest updates on the local star charts, and plot a course. It would be good to see Asajj again, even if Boba got all fussy. 

Things were looking up.


End file.
